KJ Alphons was dubbed Delhi's "demolition man" in 90s for removing many illegal buildings in the capital
Highlights
- KJ Alphons, ex bureaucrat, chosen to run Chandigarh as Administrator
- For 32 years, Chandigarh has been in charge of Punjab governor
- Political parties protested, centre puts Alphons move on hold
KJ Alphons, a former bureaucrat, says he received two phone calls from BJP President Amit Shah in the last four days. On the 13th, Mr Shah informed him that he'd been selected to run Chandigarh as its top administrator; last night, a follow up call scratched that appointment.
Instead, to prevent whiplash ahead of the election in Punjab, the government has stuck to the 32-year-old protocol of assigning Chandigarh to the care of the Governor of Punjab (VP Singh Badnore was chosen yesterday for the post).
"On August 13, BJP president Amit Shah called me to inform that I have been cleared for appointment; but following concerns raised by political parties in Punjab, he called me last (Wednesday) night again to say that it is not going to happen," said Mr Alphons to news agency IANS.
Mr Alphons, 63, joined the BJP in 2011. He was dubbed Delhi's "demolition man" in the 90s for his unflinching removal of thousands of illegal buildings in the capital.
In 1984, as Punjab was dealing with a massive insurgency, control of Chandigarh, which is a union territory, was transferred to the charge of the Governor of Punjab, a tradition which has lasted three decades. Punjab is due for elections and all political parties in the state objected fiercely to the news of Chandigarh being removed from its care.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warned "Punjab will never allow its legitimate right over the capital and other Punjabi speaking areas to be compromised or diluted".